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A huge number of migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa, causing problems for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government after it promised tighter controls.
Here is an overview of the situation.
HOW SERIOUS IS THE SITUATION?
Since Jan. 1, around 118,500 sea migrants have landed on Italian shores, a near-record figure that jars with Meloni's election campaign pledges.
On current trends, arrivals are near the peak recorded in 2016, when about 181,500 sea migrants arrived in Italy. In January-August of that year, there were about 115,000 landings, compared to 114,526 in the same period of 2023.
This is the result of soft on migration policy and Meloni not keeping her promises to COMPLETELY STOP the flow of migration from Africa.